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Simple Summary: Johne's disease (JD) has detrimental effects on production and health and significantly reduces animal welfare. A recent study during peak lactation revealed that cows with JD (JD5) reduced their lying time compared to cows without JD (JD0). However, their step count was unaffected by JD, suggesting that the cows were standing idle, ruminating, or possibly standing eating. The objective of our study was to compare feeding behaviours and activity of JD5 cows to JD0 cows. The results support previous findings, with JD5 cows having lower lying times but no difference in step count. In addition, around week 8 of lactation, JD5 cows spent over 1 h/d longer ruminating, but there was no difference in eating times. Although it is still unclear what the cows were doing during these periods of reduced lying, this study does confirm behavioural difference between JD5 and JD0. Future research to further explore the difference in behaviour between JD5 and JD0 cows is recommended. Johne's disease (JD) significantly reduces the welfare of cattle worldwide. As changes in lying and feeding behaviours are considered important tools for assessing health and early detection of diseases, the aim of this study was to compare lying and feeding behaviours of JD-positive (JD5) and JD-negative (JD0) cows around peak lactation. The cows were fitted with an accelerometer-based sensor to record step counts and lying behaviour. They were also fitted with a pressure-based halter from approximately 56 d post-partum to collect feeding and rumination data. Every 3 months, the cows were milk sampled to test for naturally occurring JD using an ELISA. JD5 cows [n = 14 (two positive results in any four consecutive ELISAs)] were matched to JD0 cows [n = 14 (consecutive negative ELISAs)] based on lactation stage, parity, age, and milk yield. Of the 28 cows, 9 JD5 and 9 JD0 cows provided sensor data for analysis. JD5 cows spent 1.7 h/d less lying compared to JD0 cows. No differences in time spent eating were found; however, JD5 cows spent 1.1 h/d longer ruminating and produced 80 more feed boluses/d than JD0 cows around week 8 of lactation. The reason JD5 and JD0 cows behave differently around peak lactation is unclear and therefore warrants further investigation focusing on behaviour, milk yield, and feed intake among cows with JD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study investigates the extent to which a 360° camera is suitable for detecting the behaviour of cows in a dairy barn. The focus is on animal behaviour, as this is a suitable indicator that allows conclusions about animal health. Therefore, 2299 snapshots from a 360° camera installed in a dairy cattle barn were evaluated manually to identify lying, standing and eating behaviours. Based on the principle of the multi-moment study, the number of animals in each image is determined according to the behavioural patterns. During the 18 h of observation, the average lying time per cow was 5.9 h, standing time was 6.9 h, and feeding time was 5.2 h. Since the accuracy rate of correctly detected animals is 93.1%, the camera technology seems to be a suitable tool for observing animal behaviour and, thus, their health in real time. In the ongoing project, the behavioural patterns will be recognised automatically using artificial intelligence. The aim of this study is to show the potential of a vision-based system using a single 360° camera to describe the dairy cows' behaviour in a free-stall barn with an automatic milking system. A total of 2299 snapshots were manually evaluated, counting the number of animals that were lying, standing and eating. The average capture rate of animals in the picture is 93.1% (counted animals/actual numbers of animals). In addition to determining the daily lying, standing and eating times, it is also possible to allocate animals to the individual functional areas so that anomalies such as prolonged standing in the cubicle or lying in the walkway can be detected at an early stage. When establishing a camera monitoring system in the future, attention should be paid to sufficient resolution of the camera during the night as well as the reduction of the concealment problem by animals and barn equipment. The automatic monitoring of animal behaviour with the help of 360° cameras can be a promising innovation in the dairy barn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The disbudding of calves is undertaken as a routine management practice. It is known to be a painful procedure for calves, and it is a legal requirement that calves are disbudded under local anaesthesia. It is also recommended that calves receive pain-relieving drugs (NSAIDs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) which improve welfare and performance as well as reducing the pain experienced. Calves were allocated to one of two groups prior to undergoing disbudding; both groups received the same local anaesthetic. One group received a subcutaneous injection of Meloxicam as a positive control, and the second group received oral sodium salicylate added into their milk. Behaviour changes were monitored between treatment groups using accelerometers, with no differences being found in activity, lying bouts or lying times. There were also no differences in weight gain between the groups. Sodium salicylate offers a cheaper option for farmers when compared to meloxicam and can be administered orally, which is a less invasive technique than injection. Despite anaesthetic and NSAID administration, all calves showed behaviour changes for 5 days post procedure. Disbudding calves using hot iron cautery is a routine management procedure to destroy the germinal cells around the horn bud in calves. It is recommended that NSAIDs are used in conjunction with local anaesthesia to reduce pain in calves during and after the procedure. In this study, two treatment groups were examined; calves in the positive control MEL group received subcutaneous meloxicam, and SAL calves received sodium salicylate orally for three days, both in addition to a local anaesthesia. Tri-axis accelerometers were attached to the calves, and DLWG (Daily Live Weight Gain) was measured. There was no significant difference between the treatment groups with regard to DLWG (p = 0.52), MI (motion index (p = 0.66)), lying bouts (p = 0.96) or lying times (p = 0.54). Given these findings, sodium salicylate may offer a lower-cost option for farmers when given at licensed doses compared to meloxicam, as well as providing a reduced-stress method of NSAID administration via an oral route. In addition, this study identified significant differences in activity in the time periods before and after disbudding, with MI (p < 0.01), lying bouts (p = 0.002) and lying times (p < 0.001) indicating changes in behaviour which extended to five days post disbudding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Management practices in working with farm animals should be constantly improved. As dairy goats are primarily animals with circadian rhythms, management should fit their needs to generate high milk yields by adapting to the natural behaviour of goats as ruminants. The present study indicates that lying behaviour follows a general circadian progression. The longest lying periods occurred at night, whilst milking times achieved the shortest lying duration. In general, the lying behaviour of dairy goats follows a circadian progression. As lying times might have an effect on the health, performance and welfare of dairy goats, housing conditions and management practices should follow circadian behavioural patterns. In the present study, a mixed horned herd of Bunte Deutsche Edelziege was used. Goats were housed in a commercial dairy goat farm in south Germany. During two lactation periods, 20 goats in each period were fitted with an accelerometer to detect lying behaviour. To analyse the accelerometer data, a mixed linear model was used. The highest frequencies of lying bouts (FLBs) occurred in the afternoon, and the lowest ones occurred during milking. Generally, the least square means ± SE of the FLB counts per goat ranged between 1.72 ± 0.07 (20:00–21:59 P.M.) and 2.87 ± 0.07 (12:00–13:59 P.M.). The longest lying bouts (LBD) occurred at night, and lying bouts remained relatively short in the afternoon between milking times. The maximum LBD was 52.20 ± 0.01 min/bout (at night, 02:00–03:59 A.M.), and the shortest duration was 14.31 ± 0.01 min/bout (during morning milking, 08:00–09:59 A.M.). The interactions of time and month had a significant impact on FLB and LBD (p < 0.0001), and so did the interactions of horn status and time (p < 0.05). Further research is necessary to analyse the lying behaviour of dairy goats in more detail to improve management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Novel sensor technologies have great potential to improve animal health and welfare on farms by identifying disease early in livestock. These technologies are yet to be widely applied in sheep flocks despite their great potential to aid control of costly disease such as those caused by parasitic infection. In this study, leg-attached accelerometer sensors recorded the behaviour of 54 ewes in late pregnancy, with the aim of discovering if gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infection levels were associated with behavioural variation. It was found that ewes laid down more often on average when infected with increasing numbers of GIN. Each lying bout was also shorter in length on average in ewes infected with higher levels of GIN. The results demonstrate that ewe behaviour can be an indication of parasite infection levels, and thus automated monitoring of sheep behaviour could allow animals to be treated efficiently against GIN in the future, maximising animal health and minimising production losses. The application of precision livestock farming (PLF) technologies will underpin new strategies to support the control of livestock disease. However, PLF technology is underexploited within the sheep industry compared to other livestock sectors, and research is essential to identify opportunities for PLF applications. These opportunities include the control of endemic sheep disease such as parasitic gastroenteritis, caused by gastrointestinal nematode infections, which is estimated to cost the European sheep industry EUR 120 million annually. In this study, tri-axial accelerometers recorded the behaviour of 54 periparturient Welsh Mule ewes to discover if gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infection burden, as measured by faecal egg count (FEC), was associated with behavioural variation. Linear mixed models identified that increasing FECs in periparturient ewes were significantly associated with a greater number of lying bouts per day and lower bout durations (p = 0.013 and p = 0.010, respectively). The results demonstrate that FECs of housed periparturient ewes are associated with detectable variations in ewe behaviour, and as such, with further investigation there is potential to develop future targeted selective treatment protocols against GIN in sheep based on behaviour as measured by PLF technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The effects of light exposure on dairy cattle milk production are well known, whereas aspects of light quality and potential benefits on dairy production and health are currently undetermined. We developed a supplemental lighting system (i.e., in addition to existing natural and artificial light in the facility) to provide light to cows while lying down. This study assessed dairy cow preferences for three colours of light-emitting diode lighting in the free-stall area. Cows did not prefer lying down under any of the light-emitting diode light options provided. Our results suggest that short-term use of supplemental light-emitting diode lighting in the stall area was not avoided by cows and lays the groundwork to study various aspects of light-emitting diode light, including the quality (wavelength), intensity, and duration of exposure. Light from the environment is important for vision and regulating various biological processes. Providing supplemental lighting in the stall area could allow for individually targeted or group-level control of light. This study aimed to determine whether dairy cattle had preferences for short-term exposure to white (full-spectrum) light-emitting diode (LED) light or no LED light, yellow-green or white LED light, and blue or white LED light in the stall area. In total, 14 lactating cows were housed in a free-stall pen with unrestricted access to 28 stalls. LED light was controlled separately for each side of the stall platform. Two combinations of light were tested per week, and each week consisted of three adaptation days and four treatment days. Lying behaviour and video data were recorded continuously using leg-mounted pedometers and cameras, respectively. Preference was assessed by the amount of time spent lying and the number of bouts under each light treatment. No differences occurred between treatments within each week for daily lying time and number of bouts. Similarly, no differences occurred between treatments within each time period. Further controlled studies of long-term exposure to different LED wavelengths and intensities are required to determine potential benefits on metabolic processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dairy cow welfare is an important consideration for optimal production in the dairy industry. Lameness affects the welfare of dairy herds by limiting productivity. Whilst the application of LS systems helps in identifying lame cows, the technique meets with certain constraints, ranging from the detection of mild gait changes to on-farm practical applications. Recent studies have shown that certain animal-based measures considered in welfare assessment, such as body condition, hock condition and leg hygiene, are associated with lameness in dairy cows. Furthermore, behavioural changes inherent in lame cows, especially the comfort in resting and lying down, have been shown to be vital indicators of cow welfare. Highlighting the relationship between lameness and these welfare indicators could assist in better understanding their role, either as risk factors or as consequences of lameness. Nevertheless, since the conditions predisposing a cow to lameness are multifaceted, it is vital to cite the factors that could influence the on-farm practical application of such welfare indicators in lameness studies. This review begins with the welfare consequences of lameness by comparing normal and abnormal gait as well as the use of LS system in detecting lame cows. Animal-based measures related to cow welfare and links with changes in locomotion as employed in lameness research are discussed. Finally, alterations in lying behaviour are also presented as indicators of lameness with the corresponding welfare implication in lame cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Goat farming is becoming more important in Germany and as dehorning is forbidden, it is necessary to facilitate animal welfare among horned and mixed-horned herds. In this study an optimized automatic concentrated feeding system was installed in a mixed-horned herd and lying behaviour was detected by accelerometer technology. Results show a seasonal progression of lying behaviour in dairy goats and an adjustment of behavioural differences between horned and hornless goats with the new feeding system. The aim of this study was to evaluate lying behaviour in dairy goats before and after installation of an optimized automatic concentrated feeding system (AFS). A mixed-horned herd of Bunte Deutsche Edelziege was used. As many agonistic interactions between goats happen at the feeding place, a new automated feeding system was installed to better fulfil the needs of horned goats. Lying behaviour is an indicator to ascertain animal welfare of ruminants. In order to measure lying behaviour accelerometer technology was used and verified by video analyses. The results show an agreement of 99.62–99.93% per lying time by comparing accelerometers to video data. Over all goats, a mean ± SD lying time (LT) of 11.78 ± 1.47 h/d, a mean ± SD lying bout duration (LBD) of 0.51 ± 0.10 h/bout and a mean ± SD frequency of lying bouts (FLB) of 24.35 ± 5.57 were found. Lying behaviour follows a seasonal progression with significant lowest LBD and highest FLB in summer. With the old AFS significant differences in LBD and FLB were detected between horned and hornless goats, but with the new AFS results were adjusted. Findings suggest that changes in feeding management do not affect the general seasonal progression of lying behaviour but can affect the behavioural differences between horned and hornless dairy goats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Lameness is a concern within the dairy industry. Firstly, it has a negative effect on the animal's welfare, and secondly, has been found to be costly to producers. Ultimately, it can result in having to cull the cow early. Lameness can change the behaviour of cows who may spend more time lying down to relieve the pain in their feet. In this study, we used activity monitors to automatically record the behaviour of non-lame and lame Jersey cattle. Unlike previous studies involving other breeds, the Jersey cows in this study showed no statistically significant differences in the length of time spent lying or standing in relation to lameness status. Lame cows did have significantly shorter average lying bouts compared to non-lame cows. We also recorded what proportion of the herd were lame. The results (38%) were higher than expected in Jersey cattle but may be related to the fact the cows were housed all year round and therefore were not given access to grass. In conclusion, we saw no evidence of an effect of lameness on lying behaviour in this study. Thirty-five lactating Jersey cows were recruited to the study. They were grouped according to locomotion score (LS), where low scores indicate normal gait. LS-1 (n = 12), LS-2 (n = 12) and LS-3 (n = 11) were used. Locomotion scores were balanced for parity and stage of lactation. Lying behaviour was recorded using IceTag™ data loggers attached to the cows for four consecutive days. The study animals remained in the straw based yards with grooved concrete flooring throughout the duration of the study. All data were normally distributed and assessed using a one-way ANOVA with a post hoc Tukey test. There were no statistically significant differences between locomotion score and the time spent lying, active and standing of zero-grazed lactating Jersey dairy cattle housed on straw yards. Lame cows (LS-3) had significantly shorter lying bouts than sound cows (LS-1) (34 min vs. 42 min, respectively). There has been limited research to date measuring the lying behaviour of cattle on straw and into the Jersey breed. The cows had longer than expected standing times and an increased frequency of lying bouts. This may have been attributed to the stocking density in which the cows were kept. We also reported a prevalence of lameness within the herd of 38%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]